Deputy General Manager

Maison Marou, screened against the role rubric, 2026-07-06

Candidates

Screened against the rubric

To advance

Shortlist band

Median fit

48%

Across the pool

Top fit

80%

Isabelle Fontaine

#	Candidate	Fit	Recommendation	What the CV shows
1	Marcus Webb CV - Marcus Webb.md	56%	Pass	Strong luxury F&B multi-unit operations leader with proven scale and excellence mindset, but zero specialty food/chocolate domain knowledge and gap in QMS/regulatory compliance expertise critical to the role. 4 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Sector shift from luxury hotels to premium retail. Entire background is five-star hotel F&B operations; no cafe-patisserie retail chain experience, specialty food manufacturing, or craft food background. Role requires premium retail chain leadership and operations scaling across store environments fundamentally different from hotel outlets. Verify: Very recent appointment and tenure pattern. Current Director role started Jan 2025 (6 months tenure). Prior three roles span 18-30 months each (22 months at KL, 18 months at Bangkok, 29 months at Dubai). Verify reasons for mobility and stability outlook. Verify: No chocolate or specialty food domain knowledge. CV shows zero familiarity with bean-to-bar chocolate, craft food production, confectionery, or food manufacturing. Role at premium chocolate company focused on world-class product may require sector-specific understanding. Verify: QMS, certification, and regulatory compliance expertise gap. No evidence of QMS development, ISO/FSSC certification processes, product registration, compliance documentation, or regulatory leadership. Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate noted but no advanced standards or compliance certifications; food safety committee role was at hotel property level. Knowledge 1/5 Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate (current) shows general food safety; zero evidence of chocolate/bean-to-bar expertise, craft food knowledge, or regulatory frameworks (HACCP/ISO/FSSC/FDA/EU standards); entire background is luxury hotel F&B, not specialty food or manufacturing. Language 4/5 English native speaker meets critical requirement for French COO and global roadmap; conversational Thai; no French documented. General Skill 3/5 Strong communication demonstrated through team restructuring and leadership mentoring; pandemic response and flagship concept development show problem-solving capability; instituted group-wide service audits and achieved best-in-region brand audit scores, but audits framed in hospitality service governance rather than QA systems/tools context. Job-Specific Skill 2/5 Chaired food safety committee and instituted service audits showing some audit leadership; Certified Hospitality Department Trainer (2016) with operations training responsibility; no evidence of QMS development, certification processes, product registration/compliance documentation, or specialized QA training. Experience 4/5 14 years exceeds 10+ year requirement; extensive multi-unit leadership (9 outlets with 240 staff at Bangkok flagship, 6 outlets with 160 staff at KL, 5 outlets with 180 staff currently) with proven team scaling and multi-functional coordination; however, all experience is five-star luxury hotel F&B operations, not cafe-patisserie retail or specialty food manufacturing; current role only 6 months tenure (Jan 2025-present) following pattern of 18-30 month tenures. View interview report
2	David Okafor CV - David Okafor.md	50%	Pass	10-year premium restaurant GM with strong single-venue P&L, but lacks multi-unit chain experience and QA/compliance expertise 2 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Single-venue GM depth. CV shows 4 years as single-venue GM with stated aspiration to move into multi-unit operations. JD requires proven experience scaling multi-unit operations to 60+ stores. Verify candidate has chain operations or multi-location P&L background beyond supervisor level. Verify: QA/compliance expertise gap. Role has QA/QC direct report with QMS development, audit leadership, and compliance documentation as core deliverables. CV shows only generic food safety certification, no QA systems, audit, or manufacturing compliance experience. Verify willingness to develop QA domain knowledge or prior exposure. Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety certification noted but generic, not specific to QMS, HACCP, ISO, FSSC, FDA or EU standards. No evidence of QA/QC domain knowledge, chocolate industry familiarity, or bean-to-bar supply chain understanding. Language 4/5 English native speaker, French conversational. Meets stated requirement for English fluency across global operations and French liaison with COO. General Skill 2/5 Shows problem-solving (renegotiated wine supply to consignment terms) and team-building (80%+ core retention). No evidence of QA tools/systems, cross-functional reporting infrastructure, or communication at chain scale. Job-Specific Skill n/a not shown in CV Experience 3/5 10+ years in premium F&B across Lagos, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City. Strong single-venue P&L (120-seat venue, 45 staff, 25% revenue growth, cost control). Limited multi-unit exposure: supervised operations across 2 venues as supervisor 8 years ago. No chain-scale, multi-function operations, or QA/manufacturing background.
3	Nguyen Duc Manh CV - Nguyen Duc Manh.md	48%	Pass	Strong hotel F&B background with 11 years and solid multi-outlet P&L management, but lacks retail chain operations, chocolate/artisanal product knowledge, and QMS/audit leadership experience needed for Deputy GM role 3 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Sector transition. CV states candidate is seeking move from hotels into branded retail F&B leadership. Verify understanding of retail store chain operations and whether candidate has managed retail (vs. hotel) locations before. Verify: Retail operations breadth. Background is hotel F&B with banqueting focus. JD requires Kitchen Operations, F&B, Retail Operations, QA/QC, HSE, Corporate Sales, Operations Training breadth. Verify capability across full retail operations scope. Verify: Expansion and scaling experience. No mention of multi-unit retail scaling, market entry planning, or new store/location development in CV. Verify if candidate has experience opening new retail locations or conducting feasibility studies. Knowledge 2/5 HACCP awareness training (2022) and chairs hotel food safety committee with corporate audit compliance. No evidence of chocolate/artisanal product knowledge, international food safety standards (ISO/FSSC/FDA/EU), or premium retail/gourmet sector expertise. Language 4/5 English fluent, Vietnamese native. English fluency meets JD requirement for global roadmap and French COO interaction; native Vietnamese supports Vietnam operations. General Skill 2/5 Mentored 4 supervisors and led post-COVID service retraining (communication). Negotiated beverage supply contracts (problem-solving). Limited depth on QA tools and systems beyond HACCP awareness training. Job-Specific Skill 1/5 Chairs hotel food safety committee and passed corporate audits, but no evidence of QMS development/certification, product compliance documentation, internal/external audit leadership, or QA training program development. Experience 3/5 11 years in five-star F&B meets 10+ year requirement. 4 outlets plus banqueting with 120 staff shows multi-unit scale and P&L ownership (beverage 22%, food 32%, cost control). Good tenure stability (5 years current). Lacks retail chain operations experience and shows no involvement in store opening or expansion activities.
4	Park Ji-hoon CV - Park Ji-hoon.md	48%	Pass	Solid operations manager in premium bakery cafe (7 years, 6 stores) but below the 10+ years experience bar and lacking strategic planning and P&L ownership expected for a Deputy GM scaling to 60+ stores. 4 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Years of experience shortfall. CV shows approximately 7 years total experience; role requires 10+ years of leadership. Verify if there is prior relevant experience not listed or if timeline is miscalculated. Verify: Title and scope mismatch. Candidate currently Operations Manager of 6 stores, applying for Deputy GM with strategic oversight of 20+ stores expanding to 60+. Verify if career progression and experience support this significant scope increase. Verify: Strategic planning and expansion expertise. CV shows operational execution (store openings, waste reduction) but no evidence of strategic planning, market analysis, or expansion feasibility studies which are the first deliverable of the role. Verify: Chocolate and specialty product knowledge. CV documents bakery cafe operations but no indication of bean-to-bar chocolate expertise or specialty product knowledge relevant to Maison Marou's positioning. Knowledge 2/5 7 years in premium bakery cafe chain operations with Food Safety certification. No demonstrated knowledge of strategic expansion, chocolate/bean-to-bar specialty products, or international quality standards. Language 3/5 English at professional working proficiency; Vietnamese basic. Adequate for operations in Vietnam but limited for Deputy GM role with French COO and global expansion mandate. General Skill 3/5 Cross-cultural team management and bridge role between Korean and Vietnamese teams; store openings passed audits on first inspection. Limited evidence of formal communication frameworks or crisis problem-solving. Job-Specific Skill 2/5 Experience with store openings, P&L management to budget targets, waste reduction initiatives. No evidence of strategic planning, expansion feasibility studies, KPI system development, or team coaching/leadership pipeline development. Experience 2/5 7 years in premium cafe operations with exposure to 6-12 stores. Falls short of 10+ years leadership requirement. Multi-unit experience is limited relative to 20+ store chain with 60+ expansion target.
5	Truong My Linh CV - Truong My Linh.md	48%	Pass	Hospitality training expert with strong people development but no operational P&L, kitchen/retail operations, or quality systems background 3 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Career pivot from training to operations. Candidate explicitly seeks to 'move from the training function into an operations leadership role' but CV shows no operational leadership experience. Verify if candidate has hands-on kitchen or retail operations background not mentioned in CV, or if this represents a significant career transition without operational foundation. Verify: P&L ownership gap. CV states 'Limited direct P&L experience; budget responsibility for the training function only,' but Deputy GM role requires substantial operational P&L ownership (budgets, cost control, forecasting, P&L analysis). Verify candidate's financial acumen and operational P&L experience. Verify: Kitchen and retail operations credibility. JD emphasizes being 'credible in a kitchen, on a retail floor' and direct oversight of Kitchen Operations, F&B and Retail Operations, but CV shows only F&B supervisor experience on service floor, no kitchen operations. Verify candidate's operational knowledge in kitchen and retail environments. Knowledge 2/5 Premium hospitality and F&B supervisor experience (5-star hotel, training manager for hotel group), but no evidence of kitchen operations, retail operations, QA/QC systems, HSE, or chocolate/artisanal product knowledge Language 5/5 English fluent and Vietnamese native, directly meeting the requirement for global roadmap coordination with French COO General Skill 2/5 Shows communication (partnerships with F&B managers, trainer networks), reporting (mystery guest scores, retention metrics), and problem-solving (68% to 84% retention improvement), but no evidence of QA tools/systems or operational crisis management Job-Specific Skill 1/5 Strong people leadership and coaching skills (supervisor development program, 41 graduates, 26 promotions), but no evidence of operational strategy, kitchen/retail operations, QA/QC, HSE, or P&L management that form the core technical requirements Experience 2/5 9 years in premium hospitality (below 10+ requirement) with multi-unit exposure (5 properties) and cross-functional partnerships, but training function, not operations, and CV explicitly states limited direct P&L experience with budget responsibility for training function only
6	Chloe Nguyen CV - Chloe Nguyen.md	45%	Pass	Entry-level operations coordinator with 3 years in cloud kitchens and food delivery; critically below the 10+ years premium F&B leadership bar for Deputy General Manager. 3 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Explicit underqualification statement. CV summary states 'I know I am early in my career for this position.' Candidate has 3 years coordinator experience; role requires 10+ years leadership. Need human judgment on whether early career + strong potential merits consideration. Verify: Leadership experience gap. No titles, teams managed, P&L owned, or multi-location operations led. Role requires direct leadership of cross-functional operations team spanning Kitchen, F&B, Retail, QA/QC, HSE across 20+ locations expanding to 60+. Verify: Recent role tenure and sector fit. Current Operations Coordinator role started Sep 2024. Experience in cloud kitchens and food delivery platforms, not premium F&B/specialty retail cafe-patisserie. Verify whether cloud kitchen operations background translates to premium cafe-patisserie standards. Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety Level 1 certification only. No evidence of premium chocolate, artisanal product expertise, international food safety standards (HACCP/ISO/FSSC/FDA), specialty retail brand knowledge, or Vietnamese regulatory context. Language 5/5 English native, Vietnamese fluent. Covers both global expansion and Vietnam operations requirements. General Skill 2/5 Built weekly performance reports (Sheets/Looker Studio), managed site consolidation project with zero service downtime, recognized for escalation turnaround speed. Limited evidence of strategic cross-functional communication or high-pressure decision-making at organizational scale. Job-Specific Skill n/a not shown in CV Experience 1/5 3 years total operations experience in entry-level coordinator and assistant roles in cloud kitchens and food delivery platforms. No leadership experience, no P&L ownership, no multi-unit operations scaling. Requires 10+ years premium F&B or hospitality leadership.
7	Isabella Costa CV - Isabella Costa.md	45%	Pass	Marketing professional with 8 years premium F&B brand experience attempting to transition to operations; lacks operational leadership, QA, compliance, and multi-unit retail foundation the role demands. 3 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Self-acknowledged operational gap. CV states 'My operational experience is limited' while applying for Head of Operations role requiring 10+ years operational leadership in premium F&B. Verify: Years and function mismatch. 8 years total (below 10+ JD requirement); all experience in marketing and brand roles, not operations, QA, or multi-unit retail leadership. Verify: No evidence of operational P&L or QA responsibility. Shows marketing budget management but no ownership of operational budgets, cost control, kitchen operations, QA/QC, or leading consistency across multiple retail locations. Knowledge 1/5 8 years in food and beverage brands, but zero evidence of QA knowledge, food safety standards, compliance, HACCP/ISO/FDA, or chocolate expertise. Language 4/5 English fluent as required; Portuguese native and Spanish fluent provide additional value for international expansion. General Skill 2/5 Team management (3 direct reports) and marketing budget accountability shown; communication demonstrated through campaigns and events; no evidence of problem-solving under operational pressure or QA/operational systems. Job-Specific Skill n/a not shown in CV Experience 2/5 8 years in premium F&B sector (below 10+ requirement) entirely in marketing and brand management; no evidence of operational leadership, kitchen management, multi-unit retail operations, or P&L ownership at operational level.
8	Vu Hoang Nam CV - Vu Hoang Nam.md	44%	Pass	Beverage chain operations manager with strong audit and rapid-rollout experience, but below the 10+ year requirement and lacking premium brand background. 3 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Years short of requirement. CV shows approximately 8 to 9 years of experience (Feb 2017 to present); role explicitly requires 10+ years. Verify total leadership tenure and whether any earlier roles are missing from CV. Verify: Strategic scope unclear. Title is Franchise Operations Manager, implying operational execution. No mention of P&L ownership, budgeting, or strategic decision authority required of DGM. Verify scope of financial accountability and strategic planning. Verify: No premium brand background. All experience is in mass-market bubble tea chains. Role seeks premium artisanal chocolate brand leader. Verify candidate's exposure to or passion for premium/craft products. Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety and Hygiene certification shown; no evidence of premium F&B domain knowledge, international standards (HACCP/ISO/FSSC/FDA/EU), or chocolate and artisanal product expertise. Language 3/5 English stated as professional working proficiency; CV is written clearly in English; adequate for role but baseline, not exceptional. General Skill 3/5 Audit system design (rebuilt program, 71% to 88% compliance); SOP and operations manual management; problem-solving shown. Limited evidence of strategic communication, reporting structures, or high-pressure decision-making. Job-Specific Skill 2/5 Audit program leadership (quarterly audits, corrective action tracking); training support in store openings. No evidence of QMS development or certification, product compliance documentation, or formal QA training program leadership. Experience 2/5 Eight to nine years in chain operations (Feb 2017 present); Area Manager of 8 stores, Franchise Operations Manager overseeing 60 stores with field team. Falls short of 10+ year requirement; no evidence of P&L ownership, premium brand scaling, or strategic cross-functional team leadership.
9	Rajesh Menon CV - Rajesh Menon.md	36%	Pass	Banquet operations executive with 7 years in 5-star hotel F&B, strong on single-property event execution but lacking multi-unit scale, retail and kitchen operations, strategic expansion, and P&L responsibility required for Deputy GM of premium 20+ store chain. 2 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Employment gap. Two month gap between end of Emirates Palm role in September 2023 and start of Riverside Grand role in November 2023; verify employment or activity during this period Verify: Strong unsupported claim. CV claims zero major service failures across 200+ events but provides no definition of what constitutes major, measurement criteria, or industry context; verify the scope and basis of this metric Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety certification current; no evidence of premium F&B domain knowledge, chocolate or gourmet product understanding, multi-location brand standards, or compliance and QMS systems Language 4/5 English documented as fluent, directly matching the stated requirement for role with French COO and global expansion; no French or Vietnamese noted General Skill 2/5 Demonstrates communication and problem-solving under operational pressure: managed 200+ events with zero major failures, reduced equipment loss 30 percent, created setup library. Lacks evidence of KPI tracking, performance reporting systems, or formal quality management discipline Job-Specific Skill 1/5 Shows operational coordination and casual staff supervision for single-event delivery; no evidence of multi-unit operations management, expansion strategy, P&L ownership, continuous improvement systems, or systematic quality and compliance leadership Experience 1/5 Approximately 7 years F&B operations experience since June 2019, significantly below the stated 10+ year requirement; no multi-unit, kitchen, retail operations, or strategic scaling experience; no P&L ownership shown
10	Bui Van Hieu CV - Bui Van Hieu.md	32%	Pass	Strong FMCG production supervisor but lacks premium retail, multi-unit chain leadership, and fluent English needed for Deputy GM of expanding cafe-patisserie network 2 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Career pivot, not sector expert. CV states applying for role 'because I want to move toward the retail side', candidate seeks to enter premium retail/hospitality sector rather than leveraging existing expertise there Verify: Chocolate experience unsubstantiated. CV claims 'deep respect for chocolate manufacturing' but shows zero chocolate or premium craft confectionery industry involvement Knowledge 2/5 9 years in food manufacturing and ISO 22000 internal auditor training; however no chocolate, premium retail cafe-patisserie, or advanced food safety standards (HACCP, FDA, FSSC, EU) shown Language 1/5 Self-reported intermediate English; role requires fluent English for COO-level engagement on global expansion roadmap General Skill 3/5 OEE improvement 68% to 79%, scrap reduction 3.2% to 2.1%, trained 12 line leaders with 3 promotions, ISO 22000 and safety certifications; however no evidence of executive-level communication or strategic reporting Job-Specific Skill 1/5 ISO 22000 internal auditor training 2022 and coordinates with QA on complaints; lacks evidence of QMS development, product certification, compliance documentation, or audit leadership Experience 1/5 9 years in food manufacturing (1 year short of 10+ requirement), 6 years as production supervisor at single FMCG plant; no multi-unit operations, retail, kitchen/cafe experience, or P&L ownership
11	Hoang Gia Bao CV - Hoang Gia Bao.md	30%	Pass	5 years casual Vietnamese dining, 3 years single-location manager, well below 10+ years premium F&B leadership required; intermediate English insufficient for global role; no premium brand, chocolate, or multi-unit operations experience. Rubric & flags Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety and Hygiene certification only. No evidence of international standards (HACCP/ISO/FSSC/FDA/EU), premium chocolate industry, bean-to-bar brand knowledge, or premium F&B sector. Current and prior experience in casual Vietnamese dining. Language 2/5 Vietnamese native speaker. English intermediate level. Role requires strong English for strategic collaboration with French COO and global expansion leadership; intermediate is insufficient for this scope. General Skill 2/5 Problem-solving shown: maintained staffing through Tet seasons, implemented checklist system, developed staff retention program. Limited evidence of strategic communication or formal reporting. No evidence of QA tools or systems. Job-Specific Skill n/a not shown in CV Experience 1/5 5 years total restaurant experience, 3 years as single-location casual-dining manager. JD requires 10+ years premium F&B leadership with multi-unit chain operations and strategic scope. No evidence of P&L scale, multi-location management, or premium brand leadership.
12	Le Van Thanh CV - Le Van Thanh.md	28%	Pass	Burger QSR area manager with 8 years and solid cost discipline, but 2 years short of requirement and lacks premium F&B and chocolate sector experience. 1 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: Store award claim. Store of the Year 2020 stated without context on award source, judging criteria, or supporting documentation. Verify award status with Bao Bros. Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety and Hygiene certification and basic F&B operations from 8 years QSR experience; no premium F&B, chocolate, or artisanal product knowledge shown Language 1/5 English intermediate, insufficient for global operations role with French COO and international expansion; Vietnamese native General Skill 2/5 Store audit management (improvement from 84% to 92%), cost control within budget, trained and promoted 6 managers, new store opening support; lacks advanced communication, reporting systems, or QA tools evidence Job-Specific Skill 1/5 Food safety compliance and audit participation shown; no evidence of QMS development, certification leadership, compliance documentation, or QA training programs Experience 2/5 8 years total (2 short of 10+ requirement), 5+ years as Area/Store Manager in burger QSR managing 9 stores and 110 staff; good tenure and multi-unit management but sector is burger QSR not premium F&B or artisanal
13	Dang Thanh Tung CV - Dang Thanh Tung.md	24%	Pass	Single-store cafe manager with 6 years total experience and basic English; falls significantly short of 10+ years, multi-unit operations, and global coordination requirements for Deputy GM. 2 to verify Rubric & flags Verify: English proficiency assessment. Candidate states English level as Basic. For a Deputy GM role requiring coordination with French COO and global expansion leadership, verify whether candidate's self-assessed Basic English accurately reflects capability for strategic communication and international team leadership, or if this rating understates actual proficiency. Verify: Chain-wide strategy contribution claim. CV claims Suggested the iced menu simplification adopted chain-wide in 2024 as evidence of strategic influence. Verify the nature and extent of candidate's actual input versus other contributors, and whether this represents strategic initiative capability or a single operational suggestion. Knowledge 1/5 Food Safety and Hygiene certification noted as current, but no evidence of chocolate domain knowledge, premium artisanal product understanding, international standards (HACCP/ISO/FSSC/FDA/EU), or premium F&B operations knowledge. Experience limited to mid-market coffee chain. Language 1/5 English listed as Basic. Role requires English fluency for coordination with French COO and global expansion team leadership. Basic proficiency is insufficient for Deputy GM level communication. General Skill 2/5 Demonstrates staff training and daily coaching, high-volume operations management under pressure, and audit compliance at store level. No evidence of strategic communication, QA tools and systems knowledge, or complex problem-solving beyond single-store operations. Job-Specific Skill 1/5 Shows compliance with existing audit requirements at single-store level. No evidence of QMS development, product compliance documentation, internal or external audit program leadership, or specialized QA training program design. Experience 1/5 6 years total since Feb 2019, with 3.5 years as single-store manager. No evidence of multi-unit operations oversight, portfolio P&L ownership, budgeting or forecasting at scale, or cross-functional team leadership across functions. Requirement is 10+ years of leadership in premium F&B with proven multi-functional, multi-unit scaling experience.

CV screening is a first-pass filter on the rubric, not the full interview report. The top of the list is where the panel spends its time.